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Thecatholicguy
Guest
If we force our children to pray, will that make a huge impact in their lives?
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Mary888
Guest
Everything we learn as kids is mostly forced upon us. Do this do that. As grownups we don’t give up al, but insteadl we come to understand most of it and pass it on if we find it worthy.
So who can say if a child.forced to pray will believe as an adult or turn atheist in frustration?
Just don’t try to step in God’s place even though you are father too.
God in a family will help. Not necessarily make kids obedient to parents but He will always be there. In a way teaching kids to worship God is setting them free or beginning rheir freedom. Even from us. God is a real presence.
So who can say if a child.forced to pray will believe as an adult or turn atheist in frustration?
Just don’t try to step in God’s place even though you are father too.
God in a family will help. Not necessarily make kids obedient to parents but He will always be there. In a way teaching kids to worship God is setting them free or beginning rheir freedom. Even from us. God is a real presence.
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Fauken
Guest
We “force” kids to brush their teeth and eat their vegetables, why not a quick prayer?
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Lou2U
Guest
How old are your children?
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Thecatholicguy
Guest
You are right; telling our young ones to brush their teeth is benefical because it prevents cavities. Eating vegetables helps our body. While a quick prayer can be benefical for our souls and be a step more holy.
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Carmelite1983
Guest
I make sure my children “catch me” while I’m praying. This has made it way more likely for them to follow my example.
They are 5 and 6 and now insist on saying Grace before meals. And they definitely know what Rosary beads are.
They are 5 and 6 and now insist on saying Grace before meals. And they definitely know what Rosary beads are.
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
I wonder if it would be more beneficial to invite them to pray. (Or perhaps you should forbid them to pray. That’s guaranteed to get them to want to do it. 
)
)
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Brendea
Guest
My 5 year old loves praying and talking to God my 11 year old not so much. In our house it’s the 5 year old that reminds my partner and mr 11 to pray.
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PennyinCanada
Guest
Isn’t praying a time of formation?
When you pray for grandma and grandpa and mr neighbor who broke his arm, it widens their world view that there are other people and they need prayers and God too.
When you say Thank you Lord for… it teaches them to show gratitude to God and to others who make their world a better place for being there. It trains them too to be a blessing on others like others have blessed them.
How about when you go in the car? Surround us with your holy angels Lord and keep us safe from harm! Put that in their mind and heart so later on, when you aren’t with them, hopefully that prayer is right on their heart when they leave the house.
Do they love birthdays?
That’s a great time to teach them gratitude, to others and to God. Remind them that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. What can we give to Jesus for his birthday? This helps to balance the mindset of ‘what can I get at Christmas’.
As a parent, it is great to look up the cardinal virtues and sins. Talk to your kids about them, one at a time. Discuss what these things look like in real life. Teaching them these things are like learning to drive. When you want your license, you study a book. Learn it by heart. You learn how to navigate the roads, follow the signs, etc, because you are going to drive your vehicle with thousands of other drivers. Our faith is like that very much. We share this world with a lot of other people and hopefully we don’t make a car wreck of it.
The cardinal virtues are Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance.
Prudence…“right reason applied to practice.” It is the virtue that allows us to judge correctly what is right and what is wrong in any given situation. When we mistake the evil for the good, we are not exercising prudence—in fact, we are showing our lack of it.
Who wouldn’t want their 16 yr old to understand these virtues and to be able to put them into practice?
When you pray for grandma and grandpa and mr neighbor who broke his arm, it widens their world view that there are other people and they need prayers and God too.
When you say Thank you Lord for… it teaches them to show gratitude to God and to others who make their world a better place for being there. It trains them too to be a blessing on others like others have blessed them.
How about when you go in the car? Surround us with your holy angels Lord and keep us safe from harm! Put that in their mind and heart so later on, when you aren’t with them, hopefully that prayer is right on their heart when they leave the house.
Do they love birthdays?
That’s a great time to teach them gratitude, to others and to God. Remind them that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. What can we give to Jesus for his birthday? This helps to balance the mindset of ‘what can I get at Christmas’.
As a parent, it is great to look up the cardinal virtues and sins. Talk to your kids about them, one at a time. Discuss what these things look like in real life. Teaching them these things are like learning to drive. When you want your license, you study a book. Learn it by heart. You learn how to navigate the roads, follow the signs, etc, because you are going to drive your vehicle with thousands of other drivers. Our faith is like that very much. We share this world with a lot of other people and hopefully we don’t make a car wreck of it.
The cardinal virtues are Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance.
Prudence…“right reason applied to practice.” It is the virtue that allows us to judge correctly what is right and what is wrong in any given situation. When we mistake the evil for the good, we are not exercising prudence—in fact, we are showing our lack of it.
Who wouldn’t want their 16 yr old to understand these virtues and to be able to put them into practice?
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angel12
Guest
I think a lot would depend on how old they are, and how you go about it. Telling a 4- or 5-year-old “Let’s talk to Jesus for a few minutes before we go to sleep” is one thing. Suddenly telling a 15-year-old “No, you can’t go to your friend’s house until we pray a rosary” is another.
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Sarcelle
Guest
Maybe it is better to model the Christian life in front of the children by exercising the virtues along with praying in front of children. Chances are they would like to follow suit.
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PJH_74
Guest
Example and routine simple prayers, e.g. before meals and bed time. In my family we do dinner and often before bed we talk about what went well and didn’t during the day and then give each other a blessing. My son has ADD and one of the ways he calms down is to take a Buddha like position and prays to God.
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